Easy Self Help: The Nice List

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Being nice to ourselves is usually not very high on the priority list. Self love is easily pushed to the back burner, and we brush it off like it is something frivolous and non-essential.

It’s true: We could live without it. But we won’t live as happily and healthy as we would with it.

And self love is not narcissism, a sense of entitlement or an unhealthy preoccupation with the self: Self love is just loving yourself, and taking care of yourself. There is nothing wrong with love, and there is nothing wrong with giving that love to yourself too.

And it does not have to be woo woo or all pink and cutesy either. Self love can be super no nonsense with some easy self help that I call the Nice List.

I first started keeping a Nice List when I realized how easily I forgot to take care of myself, and worse, how easily I forgot to think positively of myself.

I omit acts of self care very easily for the sake of schedule, convenience of other people, and yes, laziness.

So, to keep some sort of semblance of self care, I started to write down WHAT (if anything) I did in a day that was nice, for myself.

It were mostly very mundane things, like having breakfast, reading a book, having a cup of tea by myself without any distractions, a yoga class.

But it worked for me. It made me aware of being able to choose these simple activities every day that were good for me. And writing it down inspired me to do more of them, and made me see the opportunities for these moments of self love.

And with this Nice List in the back of my mind, when I could and had the time and opportunity, I would also meditate, book a massage, stream of consciousness write for a while, or do Reiki. Which all helped my mood and self esteem as well.

THE NICE LIST
– You write down what you do in a day that you did to be nice to yourself
– Try to do at least three things to write down

As mentioned above, these acts can be super simple. No need for expensive pink glittery body butter explosions or weekends in the Bahamas (although if you can and want to, by all means mama) – Everything, as long as it is good for you and your heart counts.

From a nap to a night out with friends, from saving money to spending money, from a smoothie to a cup of tea, from a work out to being huddled under blankets for a Lord of the Rings marathon. If it makes you feel content, happy with yourself and your life, if it makes you feel thankful to be alive and able to do it? Nice List material.

For me on the Nice List today? Doing a few Camels on the hotel bed (I am sore all over from the crutches), a 5 minute meditation and staying in the hotel today instead of exhausting myself n the ruins of Pompeii.

Obviously, the Nice List is a very simple thing. But it can serve as an anchor point for those of us who easily forget to be nice to themselves. And that is worth something.

Hope you enjoyed, talk too you later babies.

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15 comments

  1. Ik denk dat dit inderdaad een hele fijne manier is om balans te behouden. Heb een tijdje dagelijks opgeschreven waarom ik blij met mezelf mocht zijn, dat was opzich ook wel fijn, hoewel dat soms wel een beetje narcistisch voelde, zelfs al was dat het totaal niet. Ik denk dat dit een mooi alternatief is om wat liever voor jezelf te zijn 🙂 Fijne vakantie nog!

  2. Pingback: My Nice List
  3. This is such a great idea and exactly what I need right now!
    I’ve been in such a rut lately and feel like all I do is take on commitments while forgetting about myself.
    I’m going to try this, thanks for sharing!

    Kristien

  4. such a good idea. i wanted to start writing down again three good things that happened in a day, and i think i might just add these to the list as well!
    xo, cheyenne

  5. Met de “camels” dacht ik even dat je de sigaretten bedoelde, hahaha:p neem aan dat het met yoga te doen heeft en niet met eindeloos liggen roken in bed;)

  6. This is a nice twist on the daily gratitude idea. It makes you actively focus on doing things that make you feel good. For me, I slept in an extra 10-15 minutes, read/skimmed 100 blog articles, and plan on watching a movie tonight 🙂

  7. Goede tip. In de psychiatrie wordt het bijhouden van een witboek gestimuleerd. Dat doe ik graag, en laatst was ik erover aan het nadenken en bedacht ik dat in mijn witboek de neutrale en goede dingen terechtkwamen (van je indeling van laatst). Leuk dat jij nu ook de koppeling maakt.